Electric coupling for cars



May 1, 1923. 1,453,817

H. H. WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COUPLING FOR CARS Filed July 5, 1918 FIG. 1.-

"FIG. 2.-

n A H 44,7

Patented May 1, 1923.

HENRY HERMAN WESTINGHOUSE, or NEW IYOR'K,;1\T. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 THEWESTING- HOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF WILMERDING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

nrncrnrc COUPLING non cans; 5

Application filed July 5, 1918. [Serial No. 243,350,

To aZZwhomz't-may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY HERMAN TVVESTINGHOUSE, of the borough of Manhat tan, in the city, county, and State of New. York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Couplings for Cars, of'which improvementthe following is a specification. v

This invention relates to electric couplings for cars and has for its object to provide an improved coupling of the type havinga movable electric, portion adapted to be projected out at the end of the car for making electrical connection with the corresponding circuits of the adjoining car.-

.One of the features of my invention comprises an improved mechanical connection actuated by the coming together of the two counterpart coupler heads in the act of coupling the cars together, for projecting the movable portion of the electrical co-upler. According to another feature my improvement is designed for use in connection with a car coupler. of the rigid lock vertical plane type in which the couplerheads are provided with interlocking hook-shaped projections which engage each other by a laterally inclined or diagonal movement in the act of coupling, and it comprises a yielding tappet member mounted in the coupler head and a mechanical connection actuated by said tappet member for projecting the movable electrical portion of the coupler.-

In the accompanying drawings Figure '1 is a diagrammatic horizontal section of; a coupling embodying my improvement; Flg.

2 a diagrammatic horizontal section of the electric portion of the coupler with the contacts in the projected position; and Fig. 3, a vertical section of the electric portion of the coupler showing the electric contacts in retracted position; 5

According to the construction shown the car coupler 4, is of the rigid lock type having hook-shaped projections 5, each adapted to engage a corresponding inclined surface of the counterpart coupler and be rigidly clamped together by spring actuated looking levers 6, which maybe released by fluid pressure admitted to pistons 7, 1n cylinders 8. Beneath the car coupler is suspended the electric portion of the coupler, comprising a' casing 10, containing the movable H member orslidell, carryingelectric contacts 12, which are adapted to engage cor-.

responding contacts of the counterpart couf'i pler when the slides carrying said contacts are pro ected or extendedoutward, as indi- I cated in'Fig. 2. c

Forthe purpose of automatically projec'ting the v together of'the couplers, there is provided .60 electric contacts by -the coming i a pin or tappet member 13, slidably mount-1 ed in the coupler head 4,

shaft 14, is provided with a crank arm 15,

at its upper end for engaging'the tappet, and with another crank arm'l6, at its'lower in a directionpa g allel with the laterally inclined .or diagonal pushed in by the counend in the casingof the electric portion and connected by a link 17, with the slide 11 The slide-is normally position by the springs 18. Each electric circuit is bifurcated orbranched at its end and connected to two contact terminals l2,

carried on the movable contact carrier, or

slide 11, one'at the right andthe other at the left of the center line-as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. 5 The contact carrier may held in its retracted be provided withllugs 20, mounted to slide on guides or rods 21, within the casing.

When two couplers approach each other for coupling, the last part of the diagonal movement of the coupler projection 5, Op-:

crates to depress the pin or tappet 13, .thereby turning crank 15, shaft 14, and crank 16, to extend the carrier or slide 11, outward against the springs 18, so that the electric contact terminals engage the terminals of the counterpart coupler with a butt contact forestablishing electrical com-V munication between the corresponding circuits on'the adjoining cars.

When the couplers are released by admitting fluid to and the cars separated, the springs 18, serve to promptly withdraw the casings, of the electric portion of the coupler.

It will now be seen that I have provided a simple and compact device for automati cally operating theelectric contacts of the the unlocking cylinders 8,

the slides 11, within I loo coupler and that said contact terminals Will jection of a counterpart coupler-,'and a me-' chanical connection from said tappet for projecting the contact carrier.

2. The combination with a car coupler, of an electric coupler suspended therefrom, and

having a movable electric contact carrier, a

yielding tappet movably mounted in the car coupler head, a shaft havinga crank arm actuated by said tappet and another crank arm for projecting the contact carrier.

3. The combination With a car coupler having a projection, of an electric coupler suspended beneath the car coupler, and having a movableelectric contact carrier, a yielding tappet movably mounted in the car coupler adapted to be engaged by the projection of a:counterpartcoupler, guides for said carrier, a spring for retracting the carrier, and a positive mechanical connection actuated by the tappet for projecting said carrier.

4. The combination With a car coupler having a laterally inclined couplingfaceand adapted to engage a counterpart coupler with a diagonal movement in the act of coupling, and a yielding tappetmounted in the adapted to engage a counterpart coupler' with a diagonal movement in the act of coupling, and a tappetmounted to slide in said. car coupler in the same diagonal CllIBCtIOII, I

of an electric coupler casingsuspended beneatli the car coupler and containing a movable slide carrying electric contacts, andia mechanical connection operated by the tap:

pet for projecting the contact slide.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY HERMAN WESTINGHOUSE. 

